Disclaimer: The wondrous world of 'Tyrants and Kings' was created by John Marco. The characters in these snippets star in the second part of this trilogy, called 'The Grand Design'.

written at 30th May 2005, by Misura, for a request made by indeliblefancy in the livejournal-community ficondemand (on occasion of the Junetide).

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(Age)

On a lovely summer-afternoon, Biagio muses that he is fifty years old, and that he has seen and experienced a great deal more than the average person sees and experiences in double that amount of years -if they even live that long.

In appearance, he's twenty-five, of course, ever since he has passed that age. Thanks to Bovadin, he'll continue to look that way for many years to come, perhaps even for all eternity, though sometimes, Biagio wonders if that is what he truly wants, to grow old, look young, and see people around him die year by year, since he can't save them all.

He's had people -both males and females, though more of the latter than the former- throwing themselves at his feet (or, more precisely, into his bed), more than enough for him to claim to have lost count of them and be believed, even if in reality, naturally, he remembers them all.

Knowledge is power, after all, and Biagio is very powerful. If it hadn't been for the meddling and manoeuvring of Herrith, he'd be sitting on the Iron Throne right now, instead of in what has become his favorite chair in his working-room on the small, insignificant island of Crote.

Therefore, it's really quite exasperating to find himself feeling like he's barely sixteen and has just had his first crush, whenever Simon's around. He shouldn't be this nervous about wanting someone for his lover, and he definitely shouldn't go so far as to want to spy on Simon during bathtimes, simply to catch a glimpse of what is normally hidden by clothing.

Certainly, he shouldn't enjoy the experience so much, even savoring the pain it causes him to read the adoration in Simon's eyes when he watches Eris dance, assuring himself that it can mean nothing, or at least can't mean -everything-.

x

(Distance)

Elliann, Biagio knows, would never have put up with Simon's evasions and shying away. Once she'd have made up her mind on wanting the boy -well, young man, really, since Simon's hardly a child anymore, and Roshann on top of that- she wouldn't have rested until she'd have conquered his resistance.

In all likeliness, she'd have cornered Simon in some deserted corridor -more to spare his sensitivities than because she'd be ashamed of her intentions- and made sure to be the only thing on his mind for the rest of that week (or day or month, depending on the height of her interest).

During the time that Biagio has mostly spent brooding and alternately wishing Simon'd never met Eris or that he himself had never met Simon -either would have worked, and he does enjoy watching Eris dance- Elliann would have bedded him at least once, and then either discarded him and taken a new lover, or kept him around a little longer, before replacing him anyway, for the sake of variety being the spice of life.

Biagio has little doubt that he could make sure Simon'd enjoy being seduced by him. Pleasure is, after all, a purely physical sensation, and Biagio's quite skilled in causing it, when he puts his mind to it.

He's not quite sure what's keeping him, except for an irrational, ungrounded fear that Simon'd somehow manage to say 'no', to voice the rejection that Biagio currently reads only in small gestures and the pretended ignorance with which his avances are met.

Maybe, he muses, it's simply that he's not used to needing to expose himself, to make himself vulnerable in order to gain something. He much prefers it to be the other way around.

Love, Biagio muses, can make people do quite strange things. Quite foolish things, also; things that will bring ruin and destruction to the people who have done them, and little to no gain.

In a way, love is ver counter-productive also, since it inspires acts that ascertain love to remain unanswered, unrequited, due to a person placing another person's happiness before his own. Biagio wouldn't go as far as to say he'd die for Simon; he's still the rightful successor of Arkus after all, and Simon's merely Roshann, sworn to serve him, but he knows he'll do anything within his power to make Simon happy.

He has done so already, after all, time and time again, even if somehow, it never seems quite enough for Simon, who keeps asking for more, even going so far as to request Biagio to be allowed to marry the girl Biagio has freed from a life of captivity at his pleas, only because Biagio simply couldn't deny him anything, and still can't.

Thus, Biagio finds himself longing for Simon's return, at the same time dreading it, since to regain Simon and find him safe from the dangers that threaten all Roshann on their missions, will also mean to lose him forever, to a girl who wouldn't be waiting for Simon if it hadn't been for Biagio.

x- the end -x

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